The Justice Department is pushing back against TikTok’s lawsuit challenging a potential US ban, arguing that the law in question is aimed at national security concerns rather than stifling free speech. TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, filed the lawsuit in response to legislation that would require the app to be sold or removed from American app stores and web hosting services by January 2025. The government contends that TikTok’s ownership structure allows China to access personal information and manipulate content consumed by Americans, posing a threat to national security.
The Justice Department also raised concerns about how China could use TikTok to gather intelligence on Americans and shape content for its own purposes. TikTok has refuted these claims, arguing that the legislation violates the First Amendment by targeting a specific speech forum and limiting free expression. With 170 million users in the US alone, TikTok is urging the court to overturn the law, while the government is seeking to fast-track the case for Supreme Court review. The circuit court is set to hear oral arguments in September.
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